Can and bottle crushing and disposal machine



July 23, 1957 R. J. WALSH ETAL 2,800,159

m; AND BOTTLE-CRUSHING AND DISPOSAL MACHINE Filed Sept. 21, 1953 4Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. Fig.2

smgw KITCHEN 40HYDMUUC 34 crunnsn I 7 I78 I i 0 I58 'fifilv- 20 M01. mm:R0) .J. Walsh George R. Stroup INVENTOR-S y 1957 R. J. WALSH ETAL2,800,159

CAN AND BOTTLE CRUSHING AND DISPOSAL MACHINE Filed Sept. 21, 1953 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 5

0y 22 George R. Stroup qumvroas 76 I BY y 1957 R. J. WALSH ETAL2,800,159

CAN AND BOTTLE CRUSHING.- AND DISPOSAL MACHINE Filed Sept. 21, 1953 4Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig. 6

Fig. 8

y me Ray J. a/sh /a George R. Show mmvrozes July 23, 1957 R. J. WALSHEI'AL 2,800,159

CAN AND BOTTLE CRU'SHING AND DISPOSAL MACHINE Filed Sept. 21, 1953 I I 4Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig.7

Ra y J. Walsh Gearge R. Stroup INVENTORS GAN AND BOTTLE CRUSHlNG-ANDDISPOSAL MACHINE Ray J. Walsh and George R. Stroup, South Bend, Ind.,

assignors of twenty-live percent to Henry Davenport, South Bend, Ind.

Application September 21, 1953,. Serial No. 381,206 9 Claims.(Cl.,1'53'.10.j5)

This invention relates to a structurally novel and distinctly differentmachine or apparatus which is. expressly designed and efiicientlyconstructedso that it serves as a reliable and practical means toappreciably assist one in coping withrand systematicallylhandling theevery-day problem of expeditiously disposing of. used commodity andbeverage containers,v that is, soup, juice, soft drink and beer cans,glasses, jars, bottles,,such as ketchup bo ttles, whiskey bottles, andso on, collapsible-cardboard milk cartons and the like, whereby toreduce the size of the same, conserve space in refuse cans, and tomaterially aid city collectors of trash by likewise assisting in loadingand transporting the thus compactedtrash can load.

Provisions have been currently made, generally speaking, to enable homeowners and others .to take advantage of available trash burning baskets,incinerators, garbage disposal units andso on. Paper is burned orcompressed and bundledrin a press for better handling and modern trashcollecting and hauling trucks resort to powered followers and built-inpresses to simplify the loading problem. Bottle demolishing and crackingdevices are usedin taverns, hotel bars and similar places of businessall with the idea of mutually benefiting those who have the disposal anddumping problems .and. ditficulties to cope with. It follows, therefore,that the instant disclosure has to do with a slightly different approachto the overall, refuse and subsequent salvage requirements of the day,inthat it-proposes for use a machine. or apparatus which is such inpurpose and construction that itis ever presentand handily on the scene,so to spcak, in enabling the user to crush and flatten tins and cans,bottles, and so on, that the then resulting product in vdemolished andreduced form, can be more readily conditioned for carrying from thepremises to the trash plant, citydump, junk shop or elsewhere.

Keepingin mind the purport of the preceding general statements andobservations and in reducing the herein revealed ideas topractice, amachine has been evolved and produced which is expressly adapted forso-called home and residential use but which, when made on a properscale of construction, is equally well and perhaps more satisfactorilyadaptable for taverns, restaurants and hotels having bar and similarfacilities, and any analogous places of business where quantities ofcans and bottles are necessarily disposed of, preferably .on the spot,and where storage space is often at a premium andrequires almostconstant disposition of containersof the kind here tofore mentioned.

In carrying out a preferred embodiment of the invention, a compact andconvenient structural unit or socalled self-contained machine isprovided, the same being characterized by many improvements and featuresbut being provided, essentially speaking, with a suitable compartmenthaving a readily openable and closable front door and into which thedisposable articles are placed, oneor more ata time, there beingapressurized crushing, demolishing and flattening plate, or equivalenthead Patented July 23, 1957 "ice mounted for sliding moving toward andfrom a thick anvil-forming wall and movable toward and from the wall ina manner to crush and flattenthe article or articles between itself andsaid wall, the, bottom of the compartment having a discharge slotthrough which the then flattened article is discharged for disposition.An equally important object has, to do with the structural assemblageabove set forth and wherein disposal chute means is appropriatelyutilized, said means registering with said discharge opening or slot toreceive the flattened article and to deliver it into a collectionreceptacle, such as a trash can, or the like, which may be locatedeitherdirectly beneath the machine or on the exterior ofahonre so thatit may be picked up and dumped 'intd'a trash transporting wagon or truckfor delivery to the dump .or elsewhere.

Along the same line, novelty is predicated on a chute construction whichhas one duct for emptying thecans into a trash receptacle, and another,duct orpassagelfor emptying the cracked: glass into a separate colecting recompartment, and cooperating safety-securing means betweenthedoor and said meangwhereby when the door is closed and the means, is inuse, said dooris, concurrently and positively lockedclosed and cannot,at'v the time, he accidentally opened by .the operator of the machine.

More specifically, the above feature involvesproviding thedoor, on itsinward side with a fixed socket member,

said safety-securing means embodying a linearly straight rigid rodcarried by and simultaneously movable .with the crushing plate, said rodtelescoping into the socket member when. in its full operative latchingpositionv and moving to its released position when the plate returns tosaid initial starting position. a

More explicitly, novelty is predicated on a unified structure embodyinga compartmentincluding a horizontal bot.-

tom wall with a discharge slot, a vertical anvileformin'g wallcooperatively aligned with said slot, a hydraulic; ram 7 embodying afixed cylinder and a fluid actuated piston reciprocable in saidcylinder, a presser plate carried by said piston and slidinglyoperatable in said compartment and movable toward and away from saidanvilfforming wall and slot, coil springs anchored in said structure andconnected with said plate for returning and retaining the latter in agivenstarting position, saidcompartment having a front entrance opening,a hinged door normally closing said entrance opening, and chute meanscommunicatively connected with said discharge slot, afluid pump, a firstpipe line affording a fluid delivery connection between the dischargeside of the pump and fluid intakeend of said cylinder, a fluid back-flowcheckvalye in said line, a motor for operating said pump, a controlvalve having a handle-equipped lever for starting and stopping the flowof fluid-between the :pumpand cylinder, electric circuit means wired tosaid motor, and including an oif" and on control switch which isnormally off, said lever having means for engaging and opening andclosing said switch, whereby said control valve and control switch arecoordinated to function in timely sequence to bring about requisitecooperating functioning of the hand operated lever, motor, pump cylinderand valved pipeline between said cylinder and pump.

What is more, novelty is predicated on the aforemen tioned machinewhich, in addition, includes a reservoir, a supply line between saidreservoir and the intakeside 3. of the pump, a fluid return line betweensaid control valve and reservoir and the combination therewith of asecond switch incorporated in said circuit and mounted in a position sothat when the door is fully closed and safely locked, said switch isclosed and the circuit is then ready to go into play as soon as, theprincipal control switch is intentionally closed by throwing saidcontrol lever to the on valve position.

Then, too, a further feature has to do with a safety line which isconnected at one end with the delivery line, at its opposite end with areservoir and which is provided with an automatic pressure actuatedrelease valve which returns fluid to the reservoir if and when thepressure in the over-all line assembly becomes dangerously abnormalwhen, as for example, the operator of the machine holds the valvecontrol lever down too long after the signal bell, which is provided,indicates that the crushing phase of the machine has been adequatelycompleted.

Finally, nd although means otherthan a hydraulic one mightbeincorporated in the machine, it is, by preference, an objective toutilize a ram which is characterized by a cylinder, a piston operable insaid cylinder, a rigid resser plate carried by the projecting end of thepiston, a fluid delivery line communicatively connected at one end withthe fluid intake end of said cylinder, a rotary fluid pump, saiddelivery line being communicatively joined with the discharge side ofthe pump and having acheck valve preventing back-flow of fluid to thepump, a fluid reservoir, a pipe line communicatively joining saidreservoir to the intake side of said pump, a normally open control valvehaving an operating lever, a fluid return line joining said valve withsaid reservoir, a pressure build-up and backpressure line also connectedat one end with said valve and at its other end with said first nameddelivery line, and a safety line connected at one endwith said deliveryline, at its opposite end with said reservoir and provided with anautomatic pressure actuated relief valve which returns fluid to thereservoir if and when the pressure in the over-all line assembly becomesdangerously abnormal. 7

Briefly summarized, the invention, therefore, has to do with a machine,either a small one, or a heavy duty type for business places, whichpermits the user or operator to simply rinse the can or bottle, open thedoor and place the can or bottle in the crushing compartment, to move anavailable selector lever to one position for bottles, or anotherposition for cans, depending on the article being disposed of at thetime, and then push the control lever down until the signalling or alarmbell rings,.then remove the hand and lever permitting the springs meansto reset the machine so that the operation may be repeated for thesecond load in the compartment.

Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent from thefollowing description and the accompanying sheets of illustrativedrawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate likeparts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the machine hereinunder consideration and illustrating how it may be installed, forexample, in a kitchen wall above a counter so that the entire operationmay be performed indoors;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional and elevational view takenon the vertical line 2-2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of thearrows;

Figure 3 is a section on the vertical line 3-3 of Figure 2looking in thedirection of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a plan view, diagrammatic in character, showing thehydraulic ram or cylinder, the hydraulic pressurizing system, and thesimple electric circuit for the motor;

Figure 5 is a front view with the front plate and door removed showingthe essential parts in the main frame construction with parts in sectionand elevation;

plate.

Figure 6 is a rear elevational view of the same;

Figure 7 is a top plan view with parts removed to uncover and expose thedetails of construction, and with certain parts broken away tofacilitate reading the view;

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8 3 of Figure 7 looking in thedirection of the arrows and showing the door and front cover panel and,in addition, an enclosing metal or equivalent shield which fits over andencloses the main parts of the machine;

Figure 9 is a longitudinal section on the line 99 of Figure 7 looking inthe direction of the arrows and with certain of the details omitted forclearness of illustration;

Figure 10 is a section, fragmentarily and with parts omitted, taken onthe line iii-1t of Figure 8 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure ll is a fragmentary elevational view detailing the construction.and operationof the primary control valve, lever, and associateddepressible switch, which brings the motor into operation shortly afterthe control valve .is closed for operation.

Reference is made first to Figure 8, which taken in conjunctionwithFigure 7 and some of the other figures, discloses thatthe machine ischaracterized by a rectangular open-work frame structure embodying upperand lower spaced parallel angle irons i l-l4 and i616, respectively. Atthe right in Figure 8 there is a base plate it; which supports the motor20. At the right there is an elevated so-called base or bottom wall 22defining the bottom of the right-hand compartment and also the bottom,as at 24 (Figure 7) at the left in the can and bottle crushing,flattening and disposal compartments 26. The edge 28 of the bottom wallterminates short of an adjacent fixed end wall. 3% and defines adischarge opening or slot 32.. .The wall 30 is referred to here as theanvil-forming Wall and its purpose is to provide a suitable stop for thecans and other articles as the reciprocable crushing plate or head 34 ofthe hydraulic ram 36 moves from its initial or setposition (Figure 7,for example) to its crushing position (Figures 9 and 10). Withfurtherreference to thehydraulic ram, this is characterized by a horizontalcylinder 38 and a reciprocable piston 4%) connected with the plate andoperating the The right-hand end of the cylinder is fixedly mounted onthe other end wall 42 as shown in Figure 9. if desired, an additionalbrace or support leg may be provided at 44. Any additional supports (notdetailed) may be included. It follows that when the piston is operated,the plate34 isreciprocated and moved from. the position of Figure 9tothe position in Figure 10 for results. Incidentally, in Figure 9 thenumeral 46 designates a used can which is to be crushed and at the leftthe same can is shown at 48 after it has been crushed and is flattenedand ready'todrop down through the discharge slot 32. The numerals 5t)denote upper and lower pairs of coil springs which are suitably attachedat the left-hand end to the plate 34 and are anchored as at 52 at theiropposite ends on the wall 42:. These springs serve to return the plateto its original starting position, as is obvious. Attached to theright-hand side of the upper portion of the plate are stabilizing bracesand guides 54 which have end or shoe portions 5 which ride in thechannels of the cooperating angle irons. Similar downwardly andoutwardlyfinclined braces 58 are provided at the bottom and these jointhe lower portion of the plate and ride in the adjacent channelwayagainst the top of the bottom wall of the cabinet. The numeral 58designates a suitable closing panel or cover and 6t) denotes anornamental moulding which may be used, if desired, around the frontportion of the cabinet. The bottle and can compartment is, of course,open on what may be called the front side to facilitate inserting thearticles to be crushed. This is provided with a door-opening toaccommodate the door 62. The door is hinged in place, as at 64 and isprovided with an appropriate handle 66. Suitable temporary latchingmeans (not shown) may be provided to assist in keeping the door normallyclosed. It is important, of course, that when a can is placed in thecompartment to be crushed, the door must stay closed to avoid accidentto the user. In these circumstances a safety device is provided. Inaccomplishing this (see Figure 10, in particular) a horizontalopen-ended socket member 68 is secured to the side of the door facinginto the compartment 26. A linearly straight latching rod 70 is providedand this is telescoped into the socket member and secures the door inits closed position. This rod is bent from a complemental portion 72which is best shown in Figure 2 and which is welded or otherwiseconnected as at 74 to and carried by the adjacent diagonal brace andguide member 58. Therefore, when the hydraulic ram comes into play andthe plate '34 moves into its working position, the guides '54 and 58ride in conjunction therewith and the latching rod 70 is carried andtelescoped into the keeper socket "68 and locks the door so that thelatter cannot he accidentally opened while the machine is in operation.

Taking up now the chute disposal means, reference is had to 'the Figures1, 2 and 3. The vertical duct or chute is denoted by the numeral '76 andthis registers with the discharge slot and empties at its lower end intoa collection receptacle 78, as best shown in Figure 1. There is adiagonal duct at 80 and this is obviously for disposal of broken glassresulting from a "cracked bottle, jar, or the like. This :duct registerswith the duct '70 and, of course, empties into the other glass receivingreceptacle 82. It is desired to separate the 'glassfromthe tin and inaccomplishing this a 'fiap or butterfly valve plate 84 is provided,which as best shown in Figures 2 and 3, is hinged at 86. This can bemoved to the dotted line position of Figure 3 "for shunting the glassinto theduct 80, or it may be in the vertical position to close off theduct 80 and to cause the cans to be confined for gravity movementthrough the duct 76. It is of incidental importance to mention that 'thestructure is made in cabinet form, as shown in Figure 1, so that it canbe built into a wall in a kitchen or elsewhere. The space beneath may beused as at 88 and doors "90 may be provided for convenrence if desired.Attention is directed at this time to the numeral 92 in Figure l whichdesignates a slot having its upper end marked B for bottles and itslower end marked C for cans. An end portion of a knob-equipped operatingrod works up and down in this slot, the rod being denoted at 94 inFigure 5 and being connected with afiexible shaft 96 operating through aguide 98 and then through 'aflexible casing 100 with the opposite end ofthe rod operatively connected as at 102 (see Figure 2) to a crank 104 onthe operating end of the rocker shaft 86. This means, therefore, that aremote control knob is thus had for arranging oriadjusting the chutemeans to accommodate either cans or bottles and to do this selectively.

It is desirable to have signaling means and the means shown comprises abell 106 which is suitably mounted and which is sounded by a hammer 108which is pivoted at 110 and which is operated by a pivoted trip latch112 having an end portion engaging the intermediate portion of thehammer and its lower portion terminating in a member 114 cooperatingwith a suitable trip member 116 on a push-pull or trigger rod 118 whichis operatively connected to and operates with the plate 34. The numeral120 designates a coil spring which is suitably anchored at 122 (see:Figure 9) and which serves to return the hammer to strike the bell.Obviously, in the operation of this bell which is shown to advantage indotted lines in Figure 5, when the crushing plate moves from right toleft, the trigger 118 moves therewith and the element 116 engages theend 114 of the latch and pivots the latch, thus causing the latch andthe hammer to function, as shown in Figure 5 and to release it so thatby the time the plate 34 reaches the end of its stroke, as

shown in Figure 10, the bell rings and notifies the user that thepresser plate has completed the job of flattening the can and droppingit through the slot into the chute means. p

The hydraulic ram and hydraulic operating means therefor is best shownin Figure 4. Reference to this figure will clarify the hydraulic andelectrical phases.

The hydraulic pump is denoted at 124 and the shaft 126 of the electricmotor 20 cooperates therewith. In- 'cidentally, the shaft 26 is mountedin an appropriate bearing 128 (see Figures 6 and 7) provided thereforand fixedly supported. The pump and bearing casting is of the specificconstruction shown in Figures 6 and '7. Returning to the diagram inFigure 4, the conduit for delivering the 'fiuid from the pum to thehydraulic cylinder comprises a pipe or line section130 joined with acheck valve 132 connected with a pipe section 134 into a cornlementalpipe section 136 which communicates with the right hand end of thecylinder 38. The source of fluid is the reservoir 140 and thisis-connected by w y of a pipeline 142 to the intake side of the pump124. The primary off and on control valve 144 is a simple casingcontaining a plug valve which is normally open '(not detailed) and whichis operated by the depressible control lever 146. This lever as shown inFigure 11 has an oblique branch 1'48 which operates through a slot asshown in Figure l where it is provided with a suitable hand-grip 152 forconvenience of operation. At the elbow portion in Figure 11, a depressorbutton 154 is provided and this serves to en age and depress thespringreturned head portion 156 of the primary off and on" circuitswitch 158. The numeral 160 is the return spring for the handle equippedlever 1'48 and which serves to kee the valve normally "open. Withreference to Figure 4 again, "the numeral'162 designates a back pressureline or pipe between the valve 144 and the cruciform cou ling 166. Thenumeral 168 designates a return line which joins with the other side ofthe valve and is con- 'ne'c'ted hya similar four-way or cruciformcoupling 170 with the reservoir 140. Then, too, there is a safety'pip'eline 172 which is connected with the cruciform coupling 166 at one endand with a safety adjustable blow-off valve or automatic relief valve"174 which is in turn connected with a coupling 170 as at 176.

The cireui'tto the motor comprises a conductor 17's with wires includingthe aforementioned switch 158 and an additional switch which is mountedto cooperate with the door and has a button arranged in the pathofmovement of the door as at 180 so that when the door is closed -thecircuit "is ready for cooperation.

In operation, the can or bottle is washed and placed in the cabinet 'orcompartment 26. As the door is closed the switch button 180 is operatedto set the switch and to ready the motor for starting. When the handleor lever 146 is pushed down to close the valve 144 back pressure on thepump is through the pipe line 162. When the switch 158 is closed, themachine operates to crush the can in an obvious manner and to dispose ofit through the chute. The bell rings when the operation is complete. 7

From the foregoing, the construction .and operation of the device willbe readily understood and further explanation is believed "to'beunnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe inventionto the exact construction shown and described, andaccordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resortedto, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For use in crushing and flattening cans, breaking bottles and thelike, a machine for the home, places of business, and elsewhere,comprising a unified structure embodying a compartment including ahorizontal bottom wall with a discharge slot, a vertical anvil-forming t7 wall cooperatively aligned with said slot, a hydraulic ram embodying afixed cylinder and a fluid actuated piston reciprocable in saidcylinder, a presser plate carried by said piston and slidinglyoperatable in said compartment and movable toward and away from saidanvilforming wall and slot, coil spring anchored in said structure andconnected with said plate for returning and retaining the latter in agiven starting position, said compartment having a front entranceopening, a hinged door normally closing said entrance opening, and chutemeans communicatively connected with said discharge slot, stabilizingguides carried by and simultaneously movable with said plate, said doorhaving a socket member aflixed to that side facing into saidcompartment, a rigid safety latching rod carried by one of said guidesand aligned with and telescoping into said socket member when the platestarts to move to its operating position, whereby said door isautomatically latched and retained in closed position and cannot beaccidentally opened until the plate returns again to its initialstarting position.

2. For use in crushing and flattening cans, breaking bottles and thelike, a machine for the home, places of business, and elsewhere,comprising a unified structure embodying a compartment including ahorizontal bottom wall with a discharge slot, a vertical anvil-formingwall cooperatively aligned with said slot, a hydraulic ram embodying afixed cylinder and a fluid actuated piston reciprocable in saidcylinder, a presser plate carried by said piston and slidinglyoperatable in said compartment and movable toward and away from saidanvilforming wall and slot, coil springs anchored in said structure andconnected with said plate for returning and retaining the latter in agiven starting position, said compartment having a front entranceopening, a hinged door normally closing said entrance opening, and chutemeans communicatively connected with said discharge slot, a fluid pump,a first pipe line affording a fluid delivery connection between thedischarge side of the pump and fluid intake end of said cylinder, afluid backflow check valve in said line, a motor for operating saidpump, a control valve having athandle-equipped lever for starting andstopping the flow of fluid between the pump and cylinder, electriccircuit means wired to said motor and including an ofl and on controlswitch which is normally off, said lever having means for engaging andopening and closing said switch, whereby said control valve and controlswitch are coordinated to function in timely sequence to bring aboutrequisite cooperating functioning of the hand operated lever, motor,pump cylinder and valved pipe line between said cylinder and pump.

3. The structure defined in claim 2, and the combination therewith of areservoir, a supply line between said reservoir and the intake side ofsaid pump, a fluid return line between said control valve and reservoir.

4. The structure defined in claim 3, and the combination therewith of asecond switch incorporated in said circuit and mounted in a position sothat when the door is fully closed and safely locked, said switch isclosed and the circuit is then readied to go into play as soon as theprincipal control switch is intentionally closed by throwing saidcontrol lever to the on valve position.

5. For use in crushing, flattening and conveniently disposing ofcommodity cans and the like, a machine having a walled compartment inwhich a used can is adapted to be placed by hand and temporarilyconfined, said compartment having a bottom wall with a discharge openingthrough which the stated can, after it is sufliciently crushed, isdischarged, a can disposal chute registering with said opening andfunctioning to deliver the crushed can to a handy place of deposit forultimate collection, can crushing means embodying a presser platemounted for reciprocation in said compartment and movable toward andfrom a relatively stationary anvilforming-wall, regulable, pressuredeveloping means for forcibly actuating said presser plate in onedirection, and spring means for returning the plate to its initialstarting position, a bottle conducting and disposal chutecommunicatively connected with said can' disposal chute, an optionallyusable butterfly valve mounted in said chutes and normally separatingthe can chute from the bottle chute, remote controlled selector means,and an operating connection between said selector means and saidbutterfly valve, whereby said chutes may be selectively and individuallyused forhandling either cans or bottles, as the case may be.

6. For use in crushing and flattening cans, breaking bottles and thelike, a machine for the home, places of business, and elsewhere,comprising a unified structure embodying a compartment including ahorizontal bottom wall with a discharge slot, a vertical anvil-formingwall cooperatively aligned with said slot, a hydraulic ram embodying afixed cylinder and a ,fluid actuated piston reciprocable in saidcylinder, a presser plate carried by said piston and slidinglyoperatable in said compartment and movable toward and away from saidanvilforming-wall and discharge slot, coil springs anchored in saidstructure and connected with said plate for returning and retaining thelatter in a given starting position, said compartment having a frontentrance opening, a hinged door normally closing said entrance opening,and chute means communicatively connected with said discharge slot, saidchute means embodying at least two ducts, one for cans only and one forbottles only, and a selectively regulable valve operatively mounted insaid chute means, whereby said ducts are alternatively openable andclosable and so that the broken glass can be dumped into a trashreceptacle separate from the trash receptacle into which the cans aredumped.

7. For use in crushing, flattening and conveniently disposing ofcommodity cans and the like, a machine having a walled compartment inwhich a used can is adapted to be placed by hand and temporarilyconfined, said compartment having a bottom wall with a discharge openingthrough which the stated can, after it is sufficiently crushed, isdischarged, a can disposal chute registering with said opening andfunctioning to deliver the crushed can to a handy place of deposit forultimate collection, can crushing means embodying a presser platemounted for reciprocation in said compartment and movable toward andfrom a relatively stationary anvilforming wall, regulable, pressuredeveloping means for forcibly actuating said presser plate in onedirection, and spring means for returning the plate to its initialstarting position, a manually actuatable hingedly mounted door for theintake side of said compartment, cooperating safety type door securingmeans between the door and said can crushing means, whereby when thedoor is closed and the presser plate of the can crushing means is inuse, said door is concurrently and positively locked closed and cannot,at the time, be inadvertently opened by the operator of the machine,said door being provided on its inward side with a fixed socket member,said safety securing means embodying a latching rod carried by andsimultaneously movable with said plate, said rod telescoping into saidsocket member when in full operative latching position and moving to itsrelease position when the plate returns to said initial startingposition,

8. For use in crushing, flattening and conveniently disposing ofcommodity cans and the like, a machine having a walled compartment inwhich a used can is adapted to be placed by hand and temporarilyconfined, said compartment having a bottom wall with a discharge openingthrough which the stated can, after it is sufliciently crushed, isdischarged, a can disposal chute registering with said opening andfunctioning to deliver the crushed can to a handy place of deposit forultimate collection, can crushing means embodying a presser platemounted for reciprocation in said compartment and movable toward andfrom a relatively stationary anvil forming-wall, regulable, pressuredeveloping means for forcibly actuating said presser plate in onedirection, and spring means for returning the plate to its initialstarting position, a bottle conducting and disposal chutecommunicatively connected with said can disposal chute, an optionallyusable butterfly valve mounted in said chutes and normally separatingthe can chute from the bottle chute, remote controlled selector means,and an operating conection between said selector means and saidbutterfly valve, whereby said chutes may be selectively and individuallyused for handling either cans or bottles, as the case may be, saidcrushing means comprising a fixed cylinder and a piston slidable in saidcylinder and operatively connected with said plate, and said pressuredeveloping means embodying a powered pump communicatively connected withsaid cylinder.

9. For use in crushing and flattening cans, breaking bottles and thelike, a machine for the home, places of business, and elsewhere,comprising a unified structure embodying a compartment including ahorizontal bottom wall with a discharge slot, a vertical anvil-formingwall cooperatively aligned with said slot, a hydraulic ram embodying afixed cylinder and a fluid actuated piston reciprocable in saidcylinder, a presser plate carried by said piston and slidingly operablein said compartment and movable toward and away from said anvil-formingwall and discharge slot, coil springs anchored in said structure andconnected with said plate for returning and retaining the latter in agiven starting position, said compartment having a front entranceopening, a hinged door normally closing said entrance opening, and chutemeans comrnunicatively connected with said discharge slot, said chutemeans embodying at least two ducts, one for cans only and one forbottles only, and a selectively regulable valve operatively mounted insaid chute means, whereby said ducts are alternatively openable andclosable and so that the broken glass can be dumped into a trashreceptacle separate from the trash receptacle into which the cans aredumped, said valve comprising a butterfly valve having a pivoting shaftwith a crank on one end, a remote control lever, and a flexiblepush-pull shaft affording an operating connection between said lever andcrank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,026,426 Matejcik Dec. 31, 1935 2,125,651 Rosen Aug. 2, 1938 2,128,630Wright Aug. 30, 1938 2,150,812 Ankerman Mar. 14, 1939 2,234,098 WellsMar. 4, 1941 2,577,981 Stacy Dec. 11, 1951 2,615,302 Camerota Oct. 28,1952 2,616,477 Scheer et al. Nov. 4, 1952 2,643,065 Clawson June 23,1953 2,737,995 Jennings Mar. 13, 1956

